What if players were only permitted to stay with the team that originally made them a professional? No trades, no Rule-5 Draft, no minor or major league free agency ... once you are a professional baseball player, you stay in that organization. This series shows how all 30 teams would look. We give you: Homegrown teams.To view the schedule/past entries of this feature, click here.

While most of the teams on our list would love a do-over for 2011 -- or at least part of it, the season somehow worked out pretty well for the St. Louis Cardinals, a team that took advantage of an epic collapse and capitalized upon its chance by winning the World Series. The moves made by both the current management team and former executives, all worked out for one glorious season in St. Louis, so it's another example of why the exercise is for fun only. But there's one thing our Homegrown Cardinals have that the 2012 version doesn't -- Albert Pujols.

Any lineup with Pujols is not bad -- but it's not overwhelming, either. While lacking some of the firepower from Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman, there are still some passable players. While there's no Chris Carpenter or Adam Wainwright, there is Dan Haren and the top two of the rotation are good. The strength of this team -- and Tony La Russa would certainly love this -- is the bullpen. Not only are their Cardinals holdovers of Motte, Boggs, Salas and Sanchez, you also add Perez, Gergerson and Hawksowrth, giving this team plenty of relief options.

What's Not?

After the top two in the rotation, the rest are pretty pedestrian. McClellan is not only in the rotation -- where he started in 2011 -- but he's also going to be either a No. 3 or No. 4. The outfield isn't terrible, but when you take away Berkman and Holliday, it's going to pale in comparison.

Comparison to real 2011

Let's just get to the point, the margin for error for the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals was razor thin, but they stayed on the right side of it just enough to go on to one of the most exciting, improbable runs of all time to capture the World Series title. There is no way this hypothetical team could do anything close to what the real Cardinals did. The offensive firepower isn't the same and there's no Chris Carpenter. No, this team doesn't just fail to win the World Series or make the playoffs, it fails to reach .500 and probably finishes in the bottom half of our made-up NL Central.

DALLAS -- While the big news of the Winter Meetings was the Angels adding superstar Albert Pujols via free agency, they also made a big splash on the pitching front, adding C.J. Wilson with a five-year contract. Now, the Angels boast a top four in the rotation that is likely the envy of the entire American League. Just look at the AL Cy Young balloting for last season. Jered Weaver finished second to the Tigers' Justin Verlander -- who had a historic season -- while Wilson came in sixth and Dan Haren was seventh. Ervin Santana's no slouch, either. The Angels now have to be mentioned in the same breath as the Giants and Phillies when it comes to lock-down, top-to-bottom rotations.

The Angels ranked fifth in starting pitching ERA in 2011 for the entire MLB. And they're now replacing Joel Pineiro (5.13 ERA) with Wilson (2.94 ERA).

"I know Jered and Dan, and those are good dudes," Wilson said Thursday. "I haven't talked to Santana yet, but I will. We're gonna push each other to make each other better."

"I know back in Texas, pitching with so many other good pitchers, it was incentive to compete and get better," he continued. "It makes you want to work harder and do your part."

Wilson certainly did his part during the 2011 season, going 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 206 strikeouts in 223 1/3 innings, qualifying for his first All-Star Game. Also keep in mind the Rangers played in the most hitter-friendly park in the majors in 2011, and Wilson's road ERA was 2.31. His career numbers in Angel Stadium of Anaheim -- a big-time pitcher's park the past two seasons -- are good, too. Wilson has thrown 38 1/3 innings there, putting together a 2.79 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 32 strikeouts. One of his five starts there was a complete-game effort, too.

Weaver, 29, was the All-Star Game starter for the AL in 2011. He went 18-8 with a 2.41 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 198 strikeouts in 235 2/3 innings. Haren, 31, was 16-10 with a 3.17 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 192 strikeouts in 238 1/3 innings. Santana, 28, was 11-12 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 178 strikeouts in 228 2/3 innings.

Add it up, and you have a rotation that can work deep into the game and give you a great chance to win four out of every five games. The four combined for 15 complete games, seven shutouts and over 900 innings last year alone. As for the fifth starter, it's likely Jerome Williams, but does that even matter? The bullpen will be so well-rested 80 percent of the games that they'll be able to bail out Williams any time he needs it. Mike Scioscia may even grow bored in the dugout as he sits back and watches his big four eat innings night-in, night-out.

And it's not just the innings. It's the overall value to the ballclub.

According to Baseball-Reference.com's wins above replacement stat, the front four starters of the new Angels' rotation were worth 18.7 wins more than a replacement-level player last season. By comparison, the Phillies vaunted "four aces" had a combined WAR of 21.4. The Giants' top four? Just 14.8.

So while the Angels may not have the top three the Phillies do, they certainly have every bit of an elite starting rotation. Considering Pujols just got added to the offense, the rest of the American League has plenty to fear.

Could the Yankees' rotation for 2012 bear a striking resemblance to 2011?

The team has agreed to a one-year deal with right-hander Freddy Garcia, ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes, noting the team may not add another starter -- or at least one it will count on to make its rotation. Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman tweets the deal is worth $5 million.

With Garcia's expected signing, the Yankees could pencil in a rotation of CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, A.J. Burnett, Garcia and Phil Hughes. That's not too much different from 2011, although the team could still look through the scrap heap like it did last offseason when it signed Garcia and Bartolo Colon.

It will be interesting to see how the new free agency compensation rules change the way teams approach their free-agent players.

New York offered Garcia arbitration on Wednesday. The 35-year-old was 12-8 with a 3.62 ERA in 26 games in 2011, including 25 starts. Garcia struck out 5.9 batters per nine innings (96 strikeouts in 146 2/3 innings) and had a 4.36 xFIP (fielding independent pitching, normalized for park factors). He made $1.5 million in 2011.

Former Ranger starter Tommy Hunter helped out his old mates, throwing seven shutout innings in an 8-3Orioles victory over the Angels, keeping the status quo in the American League West as the Rangersfell 4-0 to the Mariners in Seattle. The Rangers still lead the division by you games.

While Hunter was silencing the Angels' bats, Texas native Blake Beavan shut down the Rangers, throwing eight shutout innings on just four hits, striking out three with no walks. Beavan was the Rangers' first-round pick in 2007, but was traded to Seattle as part of the deal that sent Cliff Lee to Texas last season. The Mariners scored three unearned runs off of Texas starter C.J. Wilson in the third inning before Casper Wells homered in the seventh inning for Seattle.

In Baltimore, the Angels' Dan Haren struggled, allowing seven runs (six earned) on seven hits in five innings, with Mark Reynolds taking him deep in the fifth inning. Haren is now 6-6 with a 3.92 ERA in 18 starts on the road this season and 9-3 with a 2.45 ERA in Anaheim.

Tough draw: The Brewers have lost four in a row -- after winning four in a row -- and seen their lead in the NL Central shrink to seven games. While the Brewers are still fully in control of the NL Central race with 16 games remaining, they'd love to end this skid. The problem is they face the Phillies' Cliff Lee on Saturday. Lee has been fantastic of late, winning each of his last seven starts and allowing just six runs in that time, good for a 0.96 ERA. If you take away the first game of that stretch in which he gave up four runs to the Pirates, Lee has a 0.37 ERA in his last six starts. Lefty Randy Wolf is 6-1 in his last eight starts with a 3.11 ERA. Phillies at Brewers, 7:10 p.m. ET

Shrinking lead: The American League Wild Card may actually turn out to be a race, as the Rays are now just 5.5 games behind the Red Sox and have six more games against Boston (and seven against the Yankees). Boston has lost three in a row and seven of its last nine. It may not make anyone in the Hub feel safe with Kyle Weiland on the mound. Weiland, the former Notre Dame closer, is making his third big-league start Saturday. He last pitched five days ago in relief, throwing two scoreless innings. Both of his starts so far this season have been against Baltimore, getting roughed up in a no-descision on July 10, allowing six runs on eight hits in four innings and then nine days later allowing three runs on six hits in six innings, earning the loss. Overall, he's 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA. He'll be opposite another rookie -- but a possible Rookie of the Year -- Jeremy Hellickson, who is 12-10 with a 2.90 ERA, throwing a complete game against the Orioles in his last start. He's 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA in two starts against the Red Sox this season. Red Sox at Rays, 7:10 p.m. ET

Best matchup: Not only are the Yankees and Angels in the only two races left in baseball, but they're also putting on the best pitching matchup of the night -- CC Sabathia against Dan Haren. Sabathia's searching for his 20th win of the season -- despite averaging nearly 16 wins a year in his first 10 years in baseball, Sabathia recorded his first 20-win season last year when he went 21-7 for the Yankees. So far this season he's 19-7 with a 2.97 ERA. Haren's averaged 14 wins in his first six seasons as a full-time starter and needs two more wins this season to match his career high in the stat. He won 16 games for the Diamondbacks in 2008 and 15 in 2007. He's 14-8 with a 3.20 ERA this season. Yankees at Angels, 9:05 p.m. ET

Follow all games live with CBSSports.com's GameTracker.Home sweet home: This season Ubaldo Jimenez was 3-5 with a 5.55 ERA at Coors Field, but he likes his new digs much better. In two starts at Progressive Field, he's allowed just 12 hits and struck out 16 batters with a 0.60 ERA. On the road, he's struggled with his new team, allowing 25 hits and 11.77 ERA in three starts. But hey, tonight the Indians and Jimenez are in Cleveland, so the A's should watch out. Rich Harden (4-2, 4.55 ERA) goes for the A's, who have lost four straight and five of their last six.Athletics at Indians, 7:05 p.m. ET

Nine on the line: The Diamondbacks can extend their season-long winning streak to nine with a victory against the Rockies tonight. Arizona right-hander Josh Collmenter is 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA in his last four starts, giving up just five earned run during that run. Arizona starters have a 0.83 ERA during the eight-game winning streak. Not only has Arizona won eight straight overall, it's won its last 11 at Chase Field, tying a team record set in 2000 and matched in 2003. The Diamondbacks have also won 13 of their last 17 against the Rockies at Chase Field and 10 of 14 in all games against Colorado this season. Rockies at Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m. ET

Marquee matchup: You want pitching? Look west as Felix Hernandez and the Mariners face Dan Haren and the Angels. Hernandez, last year's Cy Young Award winner, has struggled in his career against Los Angeles, going 4-9 with 4.01 ERA against the Angels, but is 0-1 with a 2.40 ERA in two starts in Anaheim this season. Haren, on the other hand, loves pitching at Safeco Field, where he is 4-1 with a 2.26 ERA in eight career starts. He's 9-4 overall against the Mariners with a 2.52 ERA. Angels at Mariners, 10:10 p.m ET

BEST MATCHUP: Dan Haren and Brett Cecil go head-to-head as the Angels attempt to stay close to first place, slipping to three games behind after Saturday's loss. Toronto, meanwhile, is one game over .500 and would like to stay that way. It will be difficult against Haren, who has a 2.91 ERA on the season. Toronto isn't exactly a patient bunch and Haren has pinpoint control, so it might be a long day for Toronto. Angels hitters may have a long day in store, too. Left-hander Brett Cecil's 4.31 ERA on the season doesn't draw much attention, but he's been far better since returning from the minor leagues on June 30 and has been pitching well his last four starts, throwing 29 innings of a 2.17 ERA. Angels vs. Blue Jays, 1:07 p.m. ET

GOING FOR 200: The third time wasn't the charm for Tim Wakefield. Will the fourth be? It's the knuckleballer's fourth straight attempt at reaching 200 career wins. Seattle, with its moribund offense, is a pretty good target. Unfortunately, the Sox's own offense has been compromised by Kevin Youkilis, who has missed three of the last five games, including the first two of the Seattle series. Youk was mired in a slump prior to the injury too, so his absence as a force has been felt for some time. The Mariners counter with rookie Charlie Furbush on the mound. The lefty was acquired from Detroit in a deadline trade and is attempting to covert from relief to the rotation, which has been a bumpy road thus far. Red Sox vs. Mariners, 4:10 p.m. ET

Expect heavy action on the trade market with the deadline being Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET, but there's still a full slate of games to watch Saturday. It's a baseball fan's delight. Let's start with a game that ties into the trade deadline. And remember, you can follow all the action on CBSSports.com's live scoreboard.

Turn to Turner: Big-time pitching prospect Jacob Turner will get the ball Saturday for the Tigers against the Angels in what will amount to a spot-start. The 20-year-old right hander is 3-5 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in Double-A. The reason it's only a one-time start is because he's filling the rotation spot that will be occupied by newly acquiredDoug Fister, who comes over in a trade first reported by CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler. The Tigers hold a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL Comedy Central, despite being only six games over .500. Turner will have his work cut out for him, as he'll attempt to best Dan Haren (10-6, 3.01). L.A. Angels at Detroit, 4:10 p.m. ET

Different directions: The Nationals have lost six in a row and are in a season-defining tailspin. Meanwhile, the Mets have won five in a row and are within realistic striking distance of the Wild Card. A win for the Mets Saturday would match their longest winning streak of the season. Despite trading away Carlos Beltran, the Mets' offense is currently firing on all cylinders, with now-healthy David Wright as the catalyst. An added storyline Saturday is this could possibly be Jason Marquis' (8-5, 3.95) final start for the Nationals. He's been rumored to be on the move prior to the trade deadline. The Mets will run R.A. Dickey (5-8, 3.74) to the mound. N.Y. Mets at Washington, 7:05 p.m. ET

Speaking of Beltran: In a decidedly small sample size, new Giants outfielder Carlos Beltran hasn't yet made a huge dent for his new club. He's 1-9 with an RBI in his two games as a Giant. He'll attempt to bust out of the incredibly slight funk -- which is so small I refuse to even call it a slump -- Saturday night in Cincinnati. He'll be squaring off against Mike Leake (8-6, 4.04). The Giants send Madison Bumgarner (6-9, 3.56) to protect their four-game lead in the NL West.